


One Year Later

by National_Nobody



Series: Bluepulse Week 2020 [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Bluepulse Week 2020, Canon Compliant, Day 3 - Firsts, M/M, Pre-Relationship, sad Bart hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24879601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/National_Nobody/pseuds/National_Nobody
Summary: Bluepulse Week 2020 Day 3 - Firsts“Been a year,” Bart said quietly, glancing up again. “Today.” He kept his eyes trained on the projection, but felt Jaime’s attention pulled back to him.(First anniversary of Wally's disappearance)
Relationships: Bart Allen & Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes
Series: Bluepulse Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799878
Comments: 11
Kudos: 35





	One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> Happy bluepulse week y'all!! Just a short one today.  
> It is Missing Wally West Hours at all times in this house, but especially around June 20th irl, so here you go.

**WATCHTOWER GROTTO** ****  
**JUNE 20, 2017** **  
** **07:16 UTC**

The soft echo of sneakered footsteps snapped Bart out of his thoughts, growing louder as they approached. He inhaled a shallow breath, listening attentively.

He didn’t need to turn around to know who those steps belonged to. The cadence alone was enough to tell him.

He wondered fleetingly if he should feel any particular way about that.

As expected, Bart heard the sound pause by the opening to the grotto, then resume, now heading in his direction.

The tenseness in his shoulders began to loosen.

Bart waited to turn his head until Jaime reached him, taking a strange amount of comfort in the fact that he’d already changed back into the usual jeans and soft gray hoodie.

“Hey,” Bart said, trying for a smile. Judging by Jaime’s Concerned FrownTM though, it must’ve looked about as clunky and fake as it felt.

“Hey,” Jaime said carefully, looking from him up to Wally. Bart looked up, too.

Bart knew what most people saw when they looked at Kid Flash: a beloved hero and friend, quick to action and quicker to laugh. To Bart though, Wally had always been so much _more_ than that. He'd always seemed larger than _life_ to Bart, growing up. Bright as the sun and just as inviting.

It had been weird at first, getting to know him as a young man. Bart had never thought of him as Wally West, College Student. Wally was _The Flash._ Bart had definitely gotten a more lackluster greeting from him than he'd expected when they were introduced, but that had soon given way to the old smirks and hair ruffles Bart remembered.

His breath had definitely come up short the first time Wally had called him 'Kid,' just like Bart daydreamed he might one day if Bart ever got a chance to be the KF to his Flash. It was silly, probably, but Bart hadn't had a lot to hold on to in terms of dreams in the future he was from.

He got half of that dream, he supposed. Just, not the part he really wanted.

He took a slow breath then looked at Jaime, studying the pensive expression on the other boy’s face.

Jaime hadn’t known Wally, really. He certainly didn’t know that in Bart’s future, Wally had been The Flash. What did _he_ see when he looked up at the projection? Tragedy? Legacy? Just the suit Bart now had to force himself to wear?

“Been a year,” Bart said quietly, glancing up again. “Today.”

He kept his eyes trained on the projection, but felt Jaime’s attention pulled back to him.

To his surprise, Jaime slid behind him and hooked an elbow around his neck. Jaime's chest pressed a solid line of warmth against Bart's back, his forearms a comforting weight across Bart’s collar bones as they encircled him and squeezed.

The lump in Bart’s throat hardened, but the knot behind his heart eased.

He wasn’t used to Jaime hugging him. Or, well, that wasn’t totally true. Touching him, reassuring him, hugging him _back_ , sure. Jaime just wasn’t usually the one to do it _first_.

He leaned his head back onto Jaime’s shoulder, too tall now to fit easily beneath Jaime’s chin.

Jaime’s rib cage expanded slowly against Bart’s back as he sighed, “Yeah. Guess it has.”

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, my procrastinating ass is terrible at this game so my Day 1 prompt will prob be going up on Day 4 lol, please bear with me. Also if I have any hope of finishing Day 6 or 7 then I may have to skip day 4-5, SORRY! Excited to see what y'all come up with though and will try to keep going through and leaving comments!!


End file.
